Silent Retribution
by UMdancer98
Summary: Conall O'Reilly has come to Gotham City for revenge and Robin is his target. Sequel to "The Final Flight" so you should definitely read that one first.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: First of all, I would like to thank everyone for all the plot suggestions for my next story (I'm talking to you carl, Batman dude and mystery guests!). I have some things bouncing around in my brain now so...thanks! :) FYI: this was written before I even asked for suggestions!

This is a sequel to my story "The Final Flight" and you should definitely read that one before starting this one. One of my original characters is Irish but I didn't "write" his accent. There are several small reminders throughout. I had to give the plot some time to develop so the first couple of chapters are just that: plot development. So, if you get bored, just slog through it and don't give up! ;)

As usual, Batman and Robin are based off the 1960s TV show but go back and forth between genres and are sometimes completely out of any characterization. I write it the way it enters my head, which is not always "historically" accurate. Italics usually represent thoughts to oneself but are sometimes used to add emphasis. I _love_ reviews and constructive criticism is always welcome. Thanks for reading! :)

 **Chapter 1:**

Two months; it had been two long months since Conall O'Reilly had returned to Gotham City after burying his only brother in the family plot in Galway, Ireland. Two months with no sign of Robin, at all, anywhere! He had seen the Bat-signal several times but the only one who ever responded was Batman. Conall's seventh-floor apartment was directly across from the police station, affording him an impeccable view of the roof where the Bat-signal was located. Every time he saw that light in the sky he stood at his window, watching the shadows carefully. But Robin was never there.

Maybe Batman's partner wasn't going to recover from the injuries he had sustained while _killing_ Conall's younger brother, Faolan. He hoped that wouldn't be the case; it was _his_ job to avenge his brother's wrongful death and he wanted Robin to be fully recovered when he took his revenge.

The newspapers had called his brother "The Darkling" and portrayed him as a horrible villain. Faolan wasn't capable of doing the things they said he did. Complete injustice; that's what it was. His brother wasn't here to defend himself and Robin had Batman and the entire police force on his side. The public adored their young hero and Conall was furious whenever he heard someone talking about how Robin had "saved the day" when he rescued some guy named Bruce from that "awful villain, The Darkling". _Robin_ was the true villain in the situation and Conall was here to make sure the kid knew it. Robin was going to pay a heavy price for his grave misdeed.

* * *

"Robin, the Bat-signal is on and the commissioner is waiting for us; let's go!" Batman was frustrated with his partner, who was attempting to re-adjust his Robin suit.

"I'm sorry, but it doesn't fit very well anymore!" Robin replied.

Batman sighed, "I told you this yesterday: the muscle mass in your torso has increased and your uniform won't fit like it did before. I also remember telling you to _try it on_! Alfred could have easily fixed this if you had obeyed me and you wouldn't be so uncomfortable. You have two choices – sit and wait for Alfred to come back and adjust it or be uncomfortable. Decide now!"

"You are NOT going without me again. I'm tired of sitting at home while you go out and have all the fun. I decide to be uncomfortable," Robin declared as he folded his arms across his chest, causing a loud tearing sound that came from beneath his cape.

Batman rolled his eyes as he stated, "No, now you _have_ to wait here for Alfred; I'll get the information from the commissioner and come back for you."

"But I chose to…" Robin's sentence trailed off as the Batmobile suddenly roared away. Annoyed, he tore off the top half of his Robin suit and sat down to wait for Alfred. "He was right, of course, again," he muttered.

* * *

The Bat-signal was on again; Conall stood at the window in his dark apartment, waiting for Batman to arrive. Would it actually be the "Dynamic Duo" this time? He had his answer as Commissioner Gordon turned to talk to a figure that had just emerged from the shadows on the roof – a single figure. Angrily turning away from the window, Conall picked up a vase of flowers he kept on the sill and threw it across the room, watching as it shattered and wishing it was Robin's body. The things he wanted to do to that kid….

Conall started pacing around his apartment, muttering to himself, unsure of what he was actually _going_ to do when he finally had the boy. He paused by the window as an idea presented itself in his mind: "Physical _and_ emotional trauma! But…how do I play with his emotions? What makes him tick?" Now he was glad Robin hadn't come tonight; he was going to have to go back to the drawing board to work out a new plan.

He watched as Batman disappeared back into the shadows and the Bat-signal was turned off. _Batman…Gotham City…protecting people…hero…_ He smiled as sat down at his table and started typing on his recently purchased computer. His first search: the laws of Gotham City. He scanned through them, found the one he wanted and began memorizing it line by line. If this was going to work, he had to know what he was talking about.

* * *

 _Come on, Alfred, hurry up!_ Alfred had gone to pick up Aunt Harriet, who had been invited to a social dinner. The event was, of course, being held all the way on the other side of the city. Robin knew that Batman would just leave him here if he wasn't ready. He searched the Batcave with his eyes; maybe there was _something_ he could use, just for tonight. Maybe Batman would let him go bare-chested, just for tonight. _Like that's ever going to happen._ He dropped his head in defeat as he heard the Batmobile approaching. He might as well go change; he wouldn't be able to go out…again. It was his own fault, though, so he had to accept the consequences. He sighed loudly as Batman opened the driver's side door and stepped out of the car.

"Alfred's not back yet, is he? Well, I told…"

"I KNOW!" Robin shouted. Immediately calming down he said, "Sorry, I just really wanted to go out tonight. It's been two months since the circus and six loooong weeks since the incident with Joker! I've been looking forward to this all week but now," he gestured toward his torn uniform, "well, you know." He sighed again.

"Get some sleep and ask Alfred to help you as soon as you see him," Batman replied. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He turned and strode back to the Batmobile. Just before climbing in he turned to Robin and stated, "You aren't missing much; it's just a small-time mob ring." Then he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the review, Carl! :) Glad you like it so far.

 **Chapter 2:**

Conall looked down at the envelope in his hand. It was addressed to Mindy Landis at "The Catch" – a tabloid magazine that he had been reading recently. Mindy's articles always contained scathing reviews of the actions of different famous people: the rich, politicians, celebrities and, Conall hoped, the Caped Crusaders – more specifically Robin. He had never seen one about the heroes but there was always a first time for everything and maybe she would do something with the "information" he was about to give her. He opened the envelope and took the letter out to double-check everything one last time:

Dear Mindy,

I am an avid reader of your articles. You impress me with your knowledge of people and the things they are capable of. I have some interesting news for you about someone famous. His name is Robin and he is Batman's sidekick. I haven't seen any articles about them but I've only been here a few months. Here's what I know: Robin killed Faolan O'Reilly to keep him quiet; the man knew too much. This young "hero" has a dark secret; I don't know all the details yet but I am working diligently to figure it out. Robin must also have something on Bruce Wayne and is blackmailing him to stick to his "I was kidnapped" story. O'Reilly is being portrayed as the villain – "The Darkling" – while the true villain is still alive and continuing in his evil ways. I am asking for your help; you have the resources to dig into Robin's background. What is he hiding? Maybe you can write something that will encourage the people of this city to demand that Robin give them the details surrounding these circumstances…? Please help me because the citizens of Gotham deserve to know the truth about this young man they call a "hero". Thank you. - A seeker of truth

* * *

Alfred looked concerned when he brought in the morning paper. "Master Bruce, I think we should keep this away from Master Dick for the time being."

"What's wrong, Alfred?" Bruce saw the worried look on his butler's face and frowned.

"You know the tabloid magazine that is always included in the Sunday paper?" Alfred inquired. "Look at the front page."

Bruce retrieved the magazine from the middle of the paper and was shocked at what he saw:

THE CATCH

WE FIND THE TRUTH; YOU DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT

A Bird in the Hand

By: Mindy Landis

Robin, the young hero of Gotham City, has not been seen in two months. Commissioner Gordon refuses to comment and Batman ignores any questions about his sidekick. Are they trying to protect Robin because he is injured or is he ashamed to show his face? Does Batman's partner have a dark secret and is Faolan O'Reilly actually the victim, not the villain? What really happened the night he died? What is the so-called "Boy Wonder" trying to hide and why? Bruce Wayne is tight-lipped about his alleged "kidnapping" and we are unable to hear Mr. O'Reilly's side of the story. Will Robin ever decide to tell us his version of the events or does he think his cover-up lies will be too unbelievable for the people of this city to accept? My source needs your help, citizens of Gotham. Demand justice for The Darkling and help us discover the truth about the incident that severely injured Robin and killed Mr. O'Reilly. Our motto is "We find the truth" and, this time, we need your help! Contact Mindy Landis with any information you have. Until next time readers….

* * *

Bruce threw the magazine on the floor, furious at the author, the magazine and whoever her "source" was. Who would accuse Robin of something like that? Robin was his partner and everyone in Gotham held them both in high regard. "I am not being 'tight-lipped' about the incident," he growled, "I'm just tired of answering the same questions over and over! I have answered _every single question_ ANY reporter has EVER asked me about that day and night!" Bruce was shouting by the time he finished his sentence.

"Master Bruce, please, keep your voice…" but Alfred was too late.

"Bruce, what's wrong?!" Dick ran down the stairs and burst into the dining room. He stopped short when he saw the look on Bruce's face. "Is everything okay?" he asked as he bent down to pick up a magazine that was on the floor.

"Dick, don't, let me…" Bruce tried to distract him but Dick had already seen the beginning of the article. His face became pale as he read it and his entire body was trembling by the time he was done.

"What, I mean, why?" he whispered in disbelief. "I…I…Bruce what do we do?" his voice was shaking as he stumbled over to the nearest chair and dropped onto it, still staring at the article in his hands.

Bruce's fury grew as he saw the look of devastation on his ward's face. "We will go down and talk to her, as Batman and Robin. We will demand a retraction. We will…"

"No, _we_ can't," Dick interrupted loudly. "Batman wasn't there; she won't believe anything you say. I have to do it." His voice returned to a whisper as he asked, "What do I say? It _was_ an accident but I _did_ kind of aim for him at the end. I shouldn't have done that, I should have just, I don't know, tried to save myself without landing on him, I guess?"

"Dick, you would be dead right now if you had done anything different," Bruce was glaring at the table, trying to remain calm for the sake of his partner.

"Yes, but The Darkling would be alive and in Arkham and you wouldn't have to deal with this," Dick stated sadly.

"I would much rather deal with _this_ than have to deal with your _death_!" Bruce yelled in frustration.

Dick stood up, a look of determination carved onto his face. "I'll go and tell her what really happened; the whole story. I can, um, Bruce, what are you doing?" Bruce was already up and walking toward his study.

"I'm going with you Dick; you aren't going to do this alone. She'll tear you apart."

"Batman wasn't there!" Dick exclaimed.

Bruce stopped and pivoted to face Dick. "Then I'll go as Bruce Wayne, who _was_ there."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Carl and mystery reader!

Carl, I completely agree with you - Batman needs a young Robin by his side. That's why the 60s show is my favorite (and I hate that I can't write that style very well, yet). :) Also, thanks for the huge compliment; there are so many awesome writers on this site and I love that you enjoy my stories that much!

For future reference, in this chapter and others, I have nothing against "the media". It's a cliche that fit the circumstances. Thanks for reading!

 **Chapter 3:**

Conall O'Reilly smiled when he read Mindy's article. Everything was going perfectly; Mindy had kick-started his plan to traumatize the "Boy Wonder" by asking the entire population to fight against him. Robin must be scared out of his mind! _He'll go talk to her; I know he will. Nobody would let this kind of accusation go without disputing it_. Conall walked over to the phone and called Mindy.

"Mindy Landis; The Catch," she answered professionally.

"Hi, I'm the source that sent you the letter about Robin. I want to see how he reacts to this situation, in person. Can you set up a meetin' with him and let me know the time and place? I want to meet him; I want to see his face when he tries to lie about the incident."

"Well, first tell me your name. I think you and I should meet before I set up a meeting with Robin. I want to squeeze the truth out of him and, in order to do that, I need to know everything you know. We need to talk," Mindy replied, surprised that her source was calling so soon after publication.

"I donna' want to talk to you, I want to talk to _him_ ," the man's tone was angry and impatient.

"And I don't want to be surprised by anything he might say to cover up what happened," she retorted. "I will not let you come to any meeting with Robin unless I have received all the information you have about that night!"

"Fine," he ground out, frustrated that she was going to get in the way of his revenge. "I'll meet you at the Italian restaurant by the police station. Five thirty?"

"I'll be there," Mindy replied, surprised again; most contacts didn't agree to meet right away. _This should be interesting._

* * *

"I'll summon him, sir," Alfred spoke into the Batphone. He put the receiver down and went back to the kitchen. "It's the Batphone, Master Bruce."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce motioned for Dick to follow as he walked into the study. "Yes, Commissioner."

"Batman," the commissioner's voice was concerned, "have you by any chance seen the paper this morning?"

"Yes, Commissioner and that article is a disgrace! Both you and Bruce Wayne have been answering questions about that incident for two months!" Bruce struggled to control the anger building inside him.

"That's true Batman but…do you think Robin could come out and answer some questions? We could hold a press conference and clear everything up. The article by Miss Landis would surely be discredited after Robin tells his side of the story."

Bruce paused; did he really want Robin to have to go through that? "Maybe a written statement would be better, Commissioner. He is only a teenager, after all. I really don't want to throw him to the wolves that are the Gotham City media."

Beside him, Dick shook his head and mouthed, "I can do it!" Bruce frowned in disagreement and Dick let it go.

"Well, okay Batman, I understand. Do you think he can come to the station tomorrow morning to do that?"

"Yes, he'll be there. Thank you, Commissioner," Bruce replied as he hung up the Batphone.

"So, do I tell them that I aimed for him?" Dick looked sick as he contemplated the consequences of that action.

"Dick, you stick to the basics. You went to the circus grounds, I was hanging on a trapeze, you were able to get me back to the platform before the chains broke but then you fell. The Darkling was standing there not moving, you said he was looking at you in shock, and you landed on him. Lucky for you, unlucky for him. You would have liked to have seen him locked up instead. That's it; end of statement."

"But, what if they want details? I can't tell them anything without revealing my identity!" Dick exclaimed. "They'll ask for more information; I _know_ they will!"

Bruce turned so he was directly facing Dick. Putting his hands on the distraught boy's shoulders he stated, "I will be there with you. I will take care of it. Trust me?"

Dick sighed, "Of course I trust you; I'm worried, though. What if people hate me now?"

"People know you, _Robin_ , and nobody is going to start hating you. We will find this writer's "source" and get to the bottom of it. Understand?"

Dick sighed again, "Yeah, thanks." He turned away and walked out of the study and up the stairs, his head hanging down. "I'll be down for dinner," he mumbled as he walked into his room and closed the door.

Alfred looked up from dusting the fireplace as Bruce walked into the living room. "Is Master Dick okay, Master Bruce?"

Bruce shook his head, "He's not going to be okay until this is all cleared up." He massaged his temples with his fingers and sat down on the couch. "Why would she attack a young man? He's not even sixteen yet! She's been after Bruce Wayne before and she's relentless. Dick won't have a moment of peace until this is over."

"I'm sorry, Master Bruce. On the bright side, you and I are the only ones that know who Master Robin is so she can't go poking into his background. There's nothing to find."

"That's true, Alfred. I'm going to go down to the Batcave and try to find some connection between The Darkling and Mindy Landis. But why would she wait two months…?" His thought trailed off as he stood up and walked back to the study. "I'll be up for dinner, Alfred," he called as he closed the door.

* * *

 **Five-thirty seven that night:**

Mindy sat down on a bench in the lobby of the restaurant, shaking her head as she glanced down at her watch. Traffic had been horrible and she was late. Hopefully her source wasn't too concerned with punctuality because she _needed_ this information; she had always wanted to go after Batman or Robin. Together they were too formidable to take on but she was lucky; the younger, more vulnerable half of the partnership had made the mistake without his partner even there. If Batman showed up when she called Robin out, she could discredit anything he had to say.

Conall sat down next to Mindy and whispered, "Should we go eat or talk right here?"

Mindy was startled and turned to face the strange man next to her. "Excuse me? Who are you?"

The man looked at the ground. "I am a seeker of truth and I want justice for Faolan O'Reilly. I want to meet Robin."

Mindy leaned over and murmured, "Tell me everything you know and I'll set up a meeting."

Conall sighed. _This is going to be harder than I thought._ "Why would a man like Faolan O'Reilly kidnap Bruce Wayne? He had no motive; Wayne has never said anything about being kidnapped for money. He had no resources – I know for a fact that he had been in Gotham City for less than two weeks."

Mindy laughed, "You _are_ new, aren't you? Bruce Wayne has always stated that The Darkling wanted to get rid of Batman. That was his motive; The Darkling wanted a straight up exchange – Bruce for Batman. Commissioner Gordon has spoken about this, also. Apparently Batman was out of the country and Robin somehow got The…"

"Stop callin' him that!" the man yelled in frustration.

"Okay," Mindy continued calmly, "Robin somehow got O'Reilly to agree to free Bruce in a straight up exchange for himself."

"No, that can't be true. Why would Faolan want to get rid of _Batman_?"

"Well, I can't answer that," Mindy stated. "This is why I need all the information you can give me. I have wanted to go after Batman or Robin for so long. Robin will be easy to break; he's just a kid!"

Conall's expression darkened. "You're right: he will be easy to break, he is just a kid, take him down!" he semi-shouted the last three words.

"Keep your voice down! If that's all you can give me, well…it's not enough to include you in any future meetings I have with anyone involved. Actually, _I've_ given _you_ information since you obviously didn't know the complete story. We can talk again when you have _real_ material for me, if that ever happens," Mindy shook her head as she stood up to leave.

"Wait, I know that it happened at the old circus grounds!" Conall was suddenly worried that his chance to catch Robin would be gone.

"Yes, I know; in fact, anyone who reads the newspapers or watches the news knows that. Wow, you are some piece of work. I wrote my article based on your letter and the evidence you said you had of Robin's 'dark secret'. You don't really have any, do you?" Mindy sighed as she sat down again. "What do you want; why did you contact me if you don't know anything new?"

"I…I just…well, I knew Mr. O'Reilly back in Ireland. He was the kindest man I have ever met. He would stop and play with the little kids on his way home from work; he was always willin' to help paint a house, or clean a yard, or whatever other type of service there was to be done around his neighborhood. I just _canna'_ believe that he would do anythin' like this; not the Faolan O'Reilly I knew. Robin must have done somethin'!" the man was troubled and Mindy felt bad for him.

"Listen," she said, "I've organized a demonstration for tomorrow morning, in front of the police station. I haven't talked to Batman, Robin or Commissioner Gordon since my article was printed so I can't say that any of those three will show up. However, you might be interested in it." She stood up and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Batman and Robin wanted to get to the police station as early as possible; the fewer people who saw them the better. They were surprised, however, when they turned onto the street where the station was located. There was a large crowd of people in front – some had posters, others were chanting – and it looked a lot like a protest. Somebody noticed the Batmobile and everyone turned to look. They backed away from the police station as Batman drove up to the entrance and parked.

"What's going on here?" Robin asked hesitantly, hoping that his giving a statement to the commissioner had nothing to do with it.

"I don't know; let's just get in there quickly," Batman replied angrily; he had seen what was written on one of the signs.

They opened their doors, got out and started up the steps. Robin stopped cold, however, when he heard:

"Hey, Robin, why aren't you talking to us? Did you kill The Darkling to keep your dark secret safe?"

Robin slowly turned around to face the accuser. Batman stepped to his partner's side and said, "Ignore them; let's go." He was too late because Robin had just seen the same sign as Batman:

VILLAIN OR HERO? JUSTICE FOR THE DARKLING! DON'T LET ROBIN'S CRIME GO UNPUNISHED!

All of the color drained from Robin's face as he processed the meaning of that sign.

"Robin, let's go, _now_ ," Batman demanded quietly. Robin's emotions were about to burst out of him and Batman needed him to show strength. "Turn around and walk away; you need to be stronger than them right now. We can work _this_ out later."

Robin's eyes were pools of anger surrounded by a border of apprehension and his hands were clenched into fists but he did as he was told, turning around and continuing his climb to the entrance of the police station.

Accusatory statements were thrown at him by angry voices scattered throughout the crowd: "What are you hiding, Robin? Heroes don't kill people! Walk away, sidekick, you'll be in Arkham by the end of the week!"

Robin stopped again, his entire body trembling with rage and fear. Forgetting Batman's instructions, he whirled around and shouted, "It was an accident! I didn't want him to _die_!"

Batman grabbed his partner by the shoulders and manhandled him up the rest of the steps and into the lobby of the station.

"What were you _thinking_?!" Batman was furious with Robin but he kept his voice quiet. "What happened to 'walk away' and 'ignore them'?"

Robin was staring at the floor, his anger replaced with guilt and distress. "I…I'm sorry Batman," he whispered. "I couldn't, I mean, it _was_ an accident, right? Do you think I'm going to be arrested?" he was scared now, really scared. Arkham was full of villains that _he_ had helped put there.

Batman exhaled and attempted to calm down. "Okay, Robin, look at me." He waited and finally had to forcefully lift the boy's chin with his hand. "I will not let you be arrested and Commissioner Gordon wouldn't do that, anyway. He knows you, Robin. You don't have any dark secrets and you are _not_ a villain. You are not going to Arkham; unless, of course, you are taking a bad guy to his cell," Batman tried to grin at his last comment but it didn't work. The expression on Robin's face didn't help; his partner looked terrified.

* * *

Conall couldn't believe his eyes: Robin was _right there_ in front of him and the crowd was heckling him! He saw the anger, then distress, in the boy's eyes and laughed out loud. The kid was already paying a price and Conall didn't even have him yet. The emotional torture had begun with a simple article. Robin's own city was turning against him and he wouldn't be able to handle it. He laughed again as he turned away and walked to a payphone down the block. "Hello, yes, I would like to speak to Chief O'Hara please," he said, emphasizing his Irish accent.

"Chief O'Hara speaking."

"My name is Conall O'Reilly and, as I was sittin' here watching the news, I saw Robin walk into the police station. Please tell me that he is about to be arrested; I am prepared to press charges for the death of my brother, Faolan O'Reilly."

"Oh, Mr. O'Reilly, sir, I'm sorry. Robin is here to give us a written statement about what happened; his side of the story. That's all."

"Okay, I understand but did you just hear me say that I'm ready to press charges against him?" Conall was a little upset that O'Hara seemed to be on Robin's side.

"I did, sir, and I'll keep you informed. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go take his statement. Good day, Mr. O'Reilly."

Conall listened to the dial-tone and then hung up the phone in frustration. Plan A wasn't working out the way he had hoped. Robin was supposed to be arrested and then Conall was supposed to grab him when the police were taking him to Arkham.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Again, I have nothing against "the media". :) For purposes of this story, Arkham is the only place where people can go when they are arrested. There is no county jail and there are no holding cells in the police station. Also, remember that way back in chapter one Conall O'Reilly was researching the laws of Gotham City. Thanks!

 **Chapter 5:**

Robin groaned in frustration and relief as he climbed back into the Batmobile. "How do you do it, Batman? In your other identity, how do you stand in front of so many people and answer questions like that?"

Batman thought for a moment then replied, "I actually hate it. They ask the same questions over and over, trying to trip you up. That is exactly why I didn't want you to participate in a press conference. I know it's hard to do but, the next time people are jeering at you, let it go and walk away. Those people weren't even from the media and they got to you. Reporters are relentless and even more vicious than that crowd."

"I know, sorry. It was just so irritating!" he sighed and leaned back in his seat. "At least it's over," he mumbled. They were halfway back to the Batcave when the Batphone rang.

 _BEEP. BEEP. BEEP_. Robin sat up and picked it up, "Yes, Commissioner?"

"Robin, I'm sorry but we need you to come back to the station. The Dark…I mean Mr. O'Reilly's brother is here and he is pressing charges against you on behalf of his brother."

"Uh…" Robin dropped the phone in shock.

"Robin, what happened?" Batman demanded as he pulled the Batmobile over to the side of the road. Robin didn't answer; didn't even move.

Batman grabbed the Batphone, "Commissioner, what's going on? Whatever you just told Robin…" but he only heard a dial-tone. He slammed the phone down and grabbed Robin's head, forcing the boy to look at him. "What happened?! ROBIN!"

Startled out of his stupor, Robin felt tears well up in his eyes as he stammered out the answer, "The Darkling's brother is…is press…pressing charges. Against me for, um, murder I guess?"

Batman felt like he had been slapped in the face. The Darkling was the villain and _Robin_ was the one about to be arrested?!

"We, uh, have to go back. I'm strong, right? I can handle myself. In there. With all the villains that I helped capture. I'll be fine. Right?" Robin sounded petrified, with good reason. There were many unpleasant things that could happen to him in Arkham.

Batman shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Here's what we are going to do. We'll go back and I will get the commissioner to put you on house arrest at Wayne Manor."

"What if they don't let me go to the Manor?"

"They will, Robin, I'll take care of it, okay?" Batman was also worried about that.

"Okay," Robin said softly.

Batman turned the Batmobile around and they returned to the police station. The news had been leaked and reporters from every station were there, waiting for them to arrive.

"Robin, we are getting out and walking straight up the steps. Do not look anywhere except straight forward. Do not listen to anything anyone is saying. Do not, under any circumstances, say anything. Got it?" Batman was trying to stay calm for his partner even while the fury was building inside him.

"Okay," Robin replied, as softly as he had before.

"Okay," Batman sighed and they opened their doors, got out and walked up the steps to the entrance. Robin made it into the station without showing any signs of distress and Batman was proud of him.

"I'm sorry Robin but…I have to arrest you," Chief O'Hara's voice was sad as he stepped up with his handcuffs.

"Chief, is that really necessary? He is already here and you don't need extra security; he's going with you calmly," Batman was composed on the outside but inside he was fuming; the chief wanted to cuff his young partner when he was turning himself in!

"I'm just following protocol, Batman. I guess he doesn't really need them, though. Sorry Boy Wonder, really sorry about all this."

A large man came striding down the hallway yelling, "Why isn't he in handcuffs?! He is a dangerous murderer!" Robin had dropped his head and Batman noticed him flinch when he heard those words. The man didn't slow down as he approached them – Batman saw the clenched fist and knew what was about to happen. He shoved his arm up in front of Robin's face, blocking the punch that probably would have broken his nose.

"Mr. O'Reilly! I know you're upset but that is assault!" Commissioner Gordon's voice was irritated as he came up to them. "I will decide whether or not he needs to be in handcuffs. You are not part of this force and you will _not_ make any decisions regarding this young man. He is turning himself in, not trying to take us down with his bare hands!"

Robin, who had been staring at his wrists and waiting for the cold metal and clinking sound of handcuffs, jerked his head up in surprise. The commissioner winked at him and Robin returned a small grin. He looked to his right as Batman stepped forward.

"Commissioner, I would like to press charges against this man, whoever he is, for assault. Robin's face was his target and I was fortunate to get my arm up in time."

Conall O'Reilly looked at Batman in disbelief. " _You_ want to press charges against _me_?" he screamed. "Your sidekick killed my brother! I know it wasn't an accident – there is no way Faolan would do any of the things you say he did! YOU," he pointed at Robin with a look of pure hatred, "are hiding somethin'. You killed him to keep him quiet!"

Robin's heart was pounding and his hands were clenched into fists. Batman placed his hand on top of Robin's fists. He didn't need assault added to the charges.

"Commissioner, please get this man away from Robin before I do something we will all regret," Batman commanded, his voice deadly serious.

The commissioner nodded to Chief O'Hara, who motioned some officers over to hold Conall back while they walked Robin down to the processing room.

"You will pay for this kid! Even if I have to stay in Gotham for ten years, I will make sure that you are convicted in a court of law!" Conall's loud voice followed them down the long hall and Robin shuddered as he thought of what could happen to him in Arkham.

* * *

Conall O'Reilly grinned as he walked away from the police station. He had spoken to every single reporter from every single station and newspaper, verifying that Robin had been arrested and that he, Conall, would be staying until the justice that had been denied to his brother was visited upon Robin's head. Now, he just had to wait for the transfer to Arkham; plan A was back on track.

* * *

"Come on, Commissioner, there is absolutely no reason for Robin to go to Arkham," Batman was annoyed at the police and scared for his young ward. "Bruce Wayne will accept him on house arrest; you have talked to him about this before. Well, not about Robin, but…. Anyway, think about what could happen to Robin in there. How many villains that _he_ _helped_ _you catch_ are currently in there? Riddler, Joker, Two-Face, Penguin, etc."

Robin's whole body was shaking now. The commissioner was not listening to Batman; he was going to send Robin to Arkham.

"Batman, listen, I'm sorry," Commissioner Gordon tried to explain. "My hands are basically tied. Mr. O'Reilly knows our laws and one of them is that someone who is accused of – well, murder – is not allowed on house arrest. We will keep him isolated from everyone…"

"Oh, so you're going to put him in isolation!" Batman roared. "That will be really good for him! How long are you expecting him to stay there – a day?"

"Well," the commissioner's voice was quiet, "until his first hearing."

"Which is at least three weeks away!" Batman exploded. "You're keeping him in isolation for three weeks?! He's fifteen years old, Commissioner!"

Robin stood up as tall as he could and yelled, "Stop. I'm Robin. I'll be fine. I can handle myself, isolation or not. Just, please," his voice was quiet and shaking again, "try to speed up the hearing?"

Batman placed a hand on Robin's shoulder. "You _will_ be fine, Robin, and I will be there to check on you _every day_. You tell me everything that happens in there; a full report. Got it?"

"Yes, Batman," Robin whispered, looking up at him with obvious dread. "Full report; every day. Every day?" Robin wanted to be sure.

Batman looked straight into his young partner's terror-filled eyes. "Every. Day."

Chief O'Hara cleared his throat, "The transfer truck is here."

And, just like that, Robin was gone. _Away from me, away from safety, headed toward Arkham and probable injuries_. Batman was worried, scared and furious as he stared out the window of the commissioner's office, watching the transfer truck fade into the distance. Those emotions became stronger when the truck blew up as it exited the city – 20 miles away from the police station.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews and compliments Carl, Nachos and mystery guest! Sorry I made you cry, Nachos, but I'm glad it was in a good way! :)

 **Chapter 6:**

Robin opened his eyes, lifted his head up and looked around – the truck had been demolished and its pieces were all over the place. _How did I survive?_ He saw a shadow coming toward him and squinted his eyes, trying to make out who it was. Batman? No, he was wrong. It was the brother of The Darkling; the man who had wanted him in handcuffs and tried to break his nose back at the police station. He sat up, wincing at the aches in his ribs and his head. The man was much closer now and Robin wasn't prepared for the pain that exploded behind his eyes as Conall smashed the back of his head with a pipe he had picked up from the wreckage of the truck. Robin fell to the ground and didn't move.

"There we go; now I have you exactly where I want you," Conall growled as he bent down to grab Robin. He threw the limp body over his left shoulder and strode off into the darkness.

* * *

"Robin!" Batman was sick as he looked at the remains of the transfer truck. There was no sign of Robin but, then again, it would be hard to find body parts in all this mess. He shut his eyes and yelled at himself in his head. _Why didn't you try harder? No, somehow he escaped. He shouldn't have even been on the truck! He's still alive; he's just lost._ He opened his eyes when he heard Commissioner Gordon calling him. He stepped around what used to be the driver on his way over.

Commissioner Gordon was holding something up with his pen. It was a pointed patch of yellow; the same shade of yellow as Robin's cape. Another officer called to them from ten feet away, holding up a small green boot. But it was Chief O'Hara who found the evidence that gave everyone a small amount of hope. He had his handkerchief around a pipe; a pipe with blood dripping from one end. The chief pointed to the ground and everyone saw the distinct shape of footprints with little droplets of blood around them.

"Someone took him," Batman growled, "and I'm sure I know who. Commissioner, when I find Robin I am going to be pressing charges against Conall O'Reilly for assault, kidnapping and whatever else he has done to my partner. Please have the paperwork ready." Batman stalked off, grabbing a Bat-flashlight from his utility belt and following the trail in the dirt.

* * *

The next time Robin woke up he was lying on his stomach; the left side of his head resting on a dark brown stain on the cold cement floor. His wrists were cuffed behind him and a rope was wound tightly around his ankles. He rolled onto his back, ignoring the pain in his ribs, and sat up. The room was spinning and he closed his eyes, willing himself to remain calm. The Darkling's brother had him but, on the bright side, he wasn't on his way to Arkham anymore. His stomach clenched violently when he opened his eyes – he was back at the old circus grounds and the dark brown stain was the dried blood of The Darkling. He was close to panicking so he closed his eyes again. That was a mistake; recent images of fear and death materialized in his mind and his breathing became erratic. He forced his eyes open again and looked up instead of down. Robin knew he _had_ to stay calm in order to find a way out of this. Nobody, not even Batman, would think to look for him at the scene of the two-month old accident – he was on his own.

* * *

Batman was discouraged; the trail of blood and footprints had stopped at a fork in the dirt road and there were tire tracks everywhere. There was no way to know which tracks belonged to The Darkling's brother's car. Conall O'Reilly. He was going to be in Arkham for a long time; after Batman was done with him, of course. The man had called his partner a "dangerous murderer" and Robin had been _right there_ when he said it! _I'll find you soon Robin but feel free to take him down yourself._

* * *

Conall watched from the shadows that covered the bleachers as his prey sat up and looked around. The kid was worried – Conall could see it in his eyes – but he was also searching for a way to escape. Batman had trained his sidekick well; Conall was impressed that Robin seemed so calm. He looked down at his shaking hands; could he really do something like this? Then he remembered the sight of his brother's broken body – the blood and bones that he had picked up from the morgue. Yes, he could do this. He could do it because he loved his little brother. Conall was ready to make Robin pay for Faolan's death. He stood up and began walking down the stairs as quietly as possible.

* * *

Robin thought he heard a creak coming from the bleachers and he whipped his head over his left shoulder, searching the darkness. Turning his entire body around to face the bleachers, he pushed himself up to his knees then rocked back onto the balls of his feet and stood up. The rope that was tied around his ankles protested the movement and Robin felt the warmth of blood slide down his foot. The trickle stopped immediately, though, and the tiny slice of pain fled his mind. There; he heard it again. Someone – well, he knew it was that O'Reilly guy – was coming down towards him. He glanced around the big tent but knew there was no way for him to escape with his legs stuck together. What was he going to do – hop away from the guy? He snickered at the picture that thought produced in his head then immediately sobered as the man stepped into the light. He was bigger than he had looked back at the police station; about six and a half feet with a relatively good amount of muscle. The main emotion on his face was anger but Robin could see a tinge of sadness in his eyes and the shaking of his hands. Without a second thought Robin went down and rolled onto his back, pulling his lower body through the circle of his arms before rolling back up to standing. His arms were now in front of him and he had a way to defend himself. He stood ramrod straight and glared at his captor.

 _What the…?_ Conall was astonished at the speed and agility of the boy. He had gone from defenseless to protected in less than ten seconds. This was going to be harder than he had anticipated. Then Conall grinned; he could take the kid down easily. All he had to do was run at him. Robin's legs were tied; he wouldn't have a way to catch himself. So, Conall took off at full speed, sprinting across the ring and diving toward the boy. The next thing he knew he was on the ground with the wind knocked out of him.

Robin knew he was about to be tackled so he jumped sideways, twisting his body into a forward roll and popping right back up. He looked back and saw O'Reilly on the ground, gasping for air. _Might as well try to get out while I have the chance._ He started hopping but realized that dive-rolling would be faster so he flipped toward the entrance of the tent, easily performing roll after roll. _Much faster and less embarrassing._ He smirked.

Conall dropped his head to the side and saw the sidekick _rolling_ his way to the exit. "No!" he screamed and jumped to his feet, racing over and shoving Robin to the side mid-dive. This time it was Robin on the ground gasping for air and Conall didn't waste any time. Robin tried to defend himself but he was still trying to catch his breath and the hits and kicks were randomly flying all over his body. He took an especially hard kick to the side of the head and cried out as fireworks were launched in his mind. His vision went fuzzy, then he saw double, then there was…nothing.

* * *

A/N: If you don't know what a dive-roll is, it's exactly what it sounds like: a dive and a roll out of it. :) If done correctly (which includes landing on your hands first), your neck is safe and you can do several in a row. It would definitely hurt on a concrete floor but we all know Robin is both athletic and super-tough. :)


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for the review mystery guest reader; I'm glad you believe in Robin and his strength! Once again, I have nothing against "the media". :) Also, I feel like I'm being a little more violent in this story and I don't know if that's a good thing. Please let me know if you don't like it so I can maybe try to tone it down a little. Thanks!

 **Chapter 7:**

Conall continued the beating even after Robin was unconscious, screaming his brother's name and yelling all sorts of insults at the limp and bloody body. He ran out of steam and stared at the boy in disbelief. _He_ had done this? He looked down at his hands; there was blood all over them, all over his clothes, all over the floor and all over the _boy_! He stumbled back in shock then fell to his knees, trembling. Faolan would not have been proud of this. But…Faolan would still be here if _Robin_ hadn't killed him. The feeling of alarm faded from his mind and he stood up and walked over to the motionless form, grabbing it off the ground by the shredded cape and dragging it toward the platform on the far side of the room – the one that would take them up to the tightrope. Robin was going to die just as Faolan had; crashing to the ground like a meteor from space. Robin's debt would be paid and Conall would have justice for his brother.

* * *

Mindy Landis was furious. Every single television reporter in town was talking about their interactions with Conall O'Reilly on the ten o'clock news and Mindy recognized him as soon as she saw his picture. He was The Darkling's _brother_ and he had lied to her. Of course he didn't have any new information; he hadn't even been here when Robin had saved Bruce Wayne. She stared out the window of her apartment; she had been so excited to go after Robin! She stood up and walked to her couch, grabbing a pen and pad of paper as she passed the kitchen table. Conall O'Reilly was the one she was going after now. He would regret his actions; especially since she would probably have to print a retraction. That or face a lawsuit from Batman. She sighed in frustration then started writing down everything she knew about the man who had tricked her. Robin's arrest would be old news by the time she gave her article to her editor and she would ensure that the front page was plastered with accusations against Robin's accuser.

* * *

Batman had returned to the remains of the transfer truck but knew he wouldn't find any more evidence there. Most of the policemen had gone back to the station, including Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara, and Batman didn't think he would be able to control himself if he saw them right now. He strode to the Batmobile, only to find it surrounded by dozens of reporters, each wanting to know where Robin was and what had happened. They had seen the fireball in the sky but the police had done a good job of keeping them away.

"Batman, is it true that Robin has been arrested?"

"Batman, was your sidekick killed in that explosion?"

"Batman, was The Darkling actually killed by accident or is Robin a murderer?"

"Batman, how do you feel about everything that has happened today and tonight?"

He turned to the reporter that had asked the last question, "How do I feel?" he growled menacingly. "How do I _FEEL_?" he yelled. He tightened his hands into fists and clenched his jaw. He lowered his voice, albeit minutely, and ground out, "I FEEL that none of this would have happened if a writer from a _tabloid_ magazine had not slandered my partner! You all know Robin; how could you possibly think he could do anything like this? Why are you turning your backs on him so quickly and easily? He has willingly _sacrificed his LIFE_ for you more times than you will ever know," Batman was roaring at them now, "and yet you attack him because of one tiny article in a _tabloid_!"

He had finally shut them up. Everyone stepped away from the Batmobile as one and Batman crossed to the driver's side and opened the door. From the back of the crowd came the tiny voice of a brave yet stupid reporter:

"Batman, what is Robin hiding? Why aren't you telling us the truth?"

Batman, who had already put his right leg into the Batmobile, stepped out again and the mob of journalists immediately parted, leaving the now-trembling reporter directly in Batman's line of sight.

Batman strode straight up to the man, bent down to his eye level with his face only an inch away and whispered darkly, "I. DON'T. LIE. Lies are for members of the media and you are _extremely lucky_ that I'm in a hurry…." Turning back towards the Batmobile he walked swiftly away as the reporter dropped to his knees, his body shaking in fright.

An old veteran looked over at him and stated, "Don't mess with Batman; especially when it involves Robin. You do that again and you won't have a job – he has high connections in this city and won't hesitate to use them. Be more careful, idiot," he smiled gently as he finished his mini-lecture.

The young reporter stared up at the man, nodded once and promptly threw up. Everyone backed away and started leaving. The Batmobile was gone, the rest of the media was gone, but the poor rookie just sat there – in shock and scared out of his mind. Finally a police officer took pity on him and drove the young man home. The next day, an editor at a certain newspaper accepted the resignation of his newest reporter who, interestingly enough, was moving out of town with very little notice.

* * *

Robin was lying on his right side; bruises blossoming all over his body. He opened his swollen eyes to the sight of Conall glaring at him. He sighed and attempted to move but discovered that a rope was wrapped around his entire body and hooked to a chain that was connected to something he couldn't see.

"What do you want from me?" Robin croaked, every word laced with agony. He felt a bone about to poke through the skin on his left ankle and tried to spit out the blood that was steadily streaming down his cheek and into his mouth.

"Admit that you killed him, that he dinna' do _anythin'_ to deserve this fate," Conall demanded as he pulled Robin up to a sitting position.

Robin was a little confused but he wasn't completely out of it. "Your brother kidnapped…" he paused to take a shallow breath, "…a very important person…" his breathing hitched as knives of pain ripped through his body, "…in this city. He didn't deserve death…" Robin squeezed his eyes shut as he fought to contain the throbbing of his body, "…but he did deserve to go to prison." He opened his eyes in time to see a large fist coming at him from the side, snapping his head over his right shoulder and making his ears ring. He fell back onto his side but landed on his shoulder, saving his head from connecting with the ground.

"Faolan would _never_ kidnap anyone! He was the kindest and best person I knew and you are a LIAR!" Conall was shouting and he emphasized the last word with a vicious kick to Robin's ribs.

Robin gasped for breath then gritted his teeth and growled, "He was a _villain_ ; he called himself The Darkling and he…" his sentence was cut off by another powerful kick, this one connecting with his shoulder blades, and he arched in anguish.

"Take it back! Stop blamin' him for your mistakes!" Conall knew he sounded like a child having a tantrum but he didn't care. All he could see was his younger brother – his pride and joy – crumpled in a heap, dead, and this _sidekick_ was still alive. "You are going to die, you know that, right?" Conall's voice was a little softer now. Even as he said that sentence he wondered if he could do it. Could he really kill someone? He was just a kid; did he deserve to die? _Did my BROTHER deserve to die?_

Robin attempted a shrug, "Fine, kill me, get it over with. You aren't from Gotham, you don't know how Batman will react to this. He will hunt you down; you will never have a moment of peace because you will _always_ be watching your back," Robin was the one shouting now even while struggling to breathe, "and when he finds you he will take you down so hard that you won't even know what happened." Robin's energy meter was empty but he wanted to finish his threat – no, promise – so he pushed on, gasping for air again, "You will be…um…convicted of murder and put…uh…put in Arkham – the scariest, craziest, most," his breathing hitched again, "terrifying place you will ever be and you will not live very long." He had to pause again – the intense pain causing him to tremble – but then he continued in a whisper, "There are so many villains in there that want revenge on me and, since I will be dead, they will go after you instead." He couldn't stay awake anymore so he let the clouds that were lurking at the edges of his mind drift through his brain and lost consciousness.

"How can you be so strong?! You're only a _kid_ ," Conall snarled and then stopped, realizing that Robin was no longer listening. "The plan has changed; your death will be on your head, not mind. My hands will be clean and justice will be served." He unhooked the chain and started unwinding the rope from around Robin's small body. "For Faolan," he whispered sadly, "For my brother and best friend."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Carl, ATacoLovesYou3 and mystery guest!

 **Chapter 8:**

Batman was pacing around the Batcave – his brain in overdrive – but he had no evidence that could lead him to Robin. _Where would a grief-stricken, crazy man take the person that he believes killed his brother?_ "He's not like any villain I know, Alfred. In fact, I think this is his first time committing any sort of crime; that's what makes him so dangerous. His brother's death pushed him over the edge and he is unintentionally leaving no clues behind. He's going to kill Robin…" Batman choked on those words, "…and I don't even know where to start looking!"

Alfred had been doing some research while Batman was gone and had a thought to share with his charge. "I have been reading, sir, and have discovered several cases in which the captor has taken his captive back to the scene of the "crime" he believes was committed. Do you think this could be one of those rare and unusual cases? I believe he has, as you said, gone off the deep end. Could he possibly want young Master Robin to feel the same things his brother felt right before his death?"

Batman looked at Alfred thoughtfully. "That's an interesting theory, Alfred. I'll take the Bat-jet to the circus grounds. I just hope, if they are there, that I'm not too late. Thank you, Alfred!" Batman ended with a shout as he ran toward the hangar that housed the Bat-jet; the first real feeling of hope since Robin had been told he was being charged with murder rising in his chest.

* * *

Robin was dragged back to consciousness by the continuous feeling of a fist thumping against his torso. He was lying on his back, covered in his own blood, feeling the white-hot pain of broken ribs and struggling for air. _Ribs…sorry Alfred…breathe…._ His eyes opened and he automatically threw his right leg up in defense.

Conall was caught by surprise when the young kid, upon whom he was again releasing his intense fury, threw his leg up and kicked him in the ribs. He bent over and gasped for air, not realizing that Robin was waiting for just such an opening.

Robin found that he was no longer completely surrounded by rope; only his hands were forced together and they were still in front of him. Nothing else was restrained and he suddenly felt a spark of hope that he could somehow get out of this alive. While Conall was clutching his ribs and attempting to draw air into his lungs, Robin rolled away, his body crying out at every movement. He was stopped by a railing – that was helpful. He wrapped his tightly tied wrists over the top, dragged himself up and immediately fell back down. _Stupid ankle; why is it always an ankle?!_ As he wrapped his wrists around and starting pulling up again, he examined his surroundings: he was about thirty feet up – on a platform – and he started to panic. _Not again, I can't do this again, you're ROBIN, get ahold of yourself!_ "Holy rusted metal," he whispered as the railing, which was now bearing the majority of his weight, shuddered.

"Sorry, _Robin_ , but I won't let you get away," Conall whispered behind him; forcing Robin to let go of the railing by using his muscular arms to squeeze the air out of Robin's torso and cause as much pain as possible. "It's time for justice. Any last words?" he asked as he moved from the railing to the edge of the platform.

"Batman…will…find…" but Robin couldn't say anything else; his ribs were popping and his lungs were deprived of oxygen.

"I'll be gone before Batman finds _you_ ," Conall sneered as he placed Robin's hands on the thin wire of the tightrope, pulled out a knife and sliced off the ropes that bound his wrists. "Goodbye idiotic sidekick," he shrieked, unknowingly vocalizing his brother's last thoughts as he pushed Robin, sending him sliding to the middle of the creaking wire.

"Holy bloody grip!" Robin yelled as he tried desperately to hang on, his hands slippery with his own blood as a layer of skin was ripped off.

* * *

Batman landed the Bat-jet and raced down the steps, freezing in horror when he heard Robin's distinctive phrase and the sound of a creaking wire:

"Holy bloody grip!"

 _No, nonononono_ and he ran, sprinting past the building where Bruce Wayne had been held by The Darkling and hurling himself through the entrance of the tent. He stared up in disbelief: his young partner was frantically attempting to keep his hands on the tightrope wire even though they were sliding all over it as blood trickled freely from everywhere on his body, creating a pool on the floor; a pool Batman had seen before and never wanted to see again. He was so shocked that he didn't notice Conall O'Reilly charging at him from the side and he was thrown to the ground with the now-a-villain on top of him trying to knock him out.

"Bat…no…please…" Robin knew he was going to fall, knew he was going to die, all because he had saved himself when rescuing Bruce from The Darkling. _I shouldn't have aimed for him_ was his final thought as his hands slipped away from the wire and he became the last Flying Grayson to fall toward the unforgiving concrete that was the circus floor.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: First of all, thanks for the reviews DynamicDuoFanandPhoneGuy, YanYan, The Doctor, Carl, Derpy and mystery guests! Sorry I left you hanging for so long! One of my kids was the recipient of an awesome bug at school and I have spent the last two days washing everyone's hair, doing endless loads of laundry, vacuuming every single piece of carpet/fabric in the house and picking little black eggs off of impatient children's heads. :) Anyway, I love finding out that so many people love Robin like I do.

One small thing about Conall: He used to be a really great, law-abiding citizen. His brother's death pushed him over the edge. He's never committed any crimes so he is a single-minded criminal: kill the kid who killed his brother.

Also, I don't know what it is about chapter 9 but this happened in "The Final Flight" also. It is super short and I'm sorry. I tried combining it with either chapter 8 or chapter 10 but this is just how it fit to me. So, I hope you enjoy the 424 words of chapter 9. :)

 **Chapter 9:**

Batman was occupied with trying to get Conall off of him while dodging the heavy fists that were flying towards his face and body; he didn't hear Robin's call or see the small body tumbling through the air. Conall did, though, and turned to watch – giving Batman the opening he needed to throw the man off and knock him out.

"Robin!" he bellowed as he saw his partner flying toward the ground. He ran, he could make it, he _had_ to make it!

Robin's body was limp; all the beatings and blood loss had taken their toll and he didn't have the strength to fight the darkness that had encroached upon his mind. He heard his name, though, and knew he had to get to that voice. He needed the person that belonged to that voice. He struggled to open his eyes and saw bright colors surrounding a small patch of twinkling blackness as he plummeted toward the ground. He also saw something he recognized from a memory that was floating around the outskirts of his brain: a thick, strong rope. He used to climb on that for some reason that he couldn't remember.

"Robin, I'm coming, ROBIN!" Batman was still yelling at his partner as he ran, hoping to wake him up and at least give him some sort of chance to continue his life.

Robin started to reach out a bloody hand but every muscle and bone in his body screamed at him to stop. That voice was still there, though, and he had to find that voice. He straightened his arm and caught the rope – which jerked his body slightly – but his hand was too slippery to stop him and he slid down the rope; all he had done was add more pain to his torn hand. He released the rope and closed his eyes as one last thought drifted through his brain: _Sorry Batman._

That one jerk was enough for Batman; he slid on his knees through the pool of blood and Robin landed on top of him, his head inches away from the ground. Batman was pushed back and he felt both knees pop as he landed hard on his back but he held Robin tightly and somehow kept himself on the floor even as the momentum from the crash threatened to flip them backwards over Batman's head. They slid to a stop and Batman gasped for air and heard Robin doing the same. His head dropped back onto the floor in relief; they were both alive.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Conall woke up as the Dynamic Duo crashed to the ground. He placed his left hand on his head, released a quiet groan upon feeling the ache and pushed himself up to a seated position with his right hand. He looked over and saw the two bodies on the floor; not moving around but breathing steadily. He still had a chance – if he could get there quick enough. He carefully stood up, grabbed the knife that he had dropped when he had charged at Batman, and silently approached the tangle of limbs. He clenched his fist around the knife and raised it above his pounding head, aiming for the middle of Robin's back.

Batman heard a small noise and glanced around as best he could with just his eyes. He noticed movement out of the corner of his right eye and glimpsed the moon reflecting off a flash of steel. Immediately recognizing it as a knife, he watched it come closer and slice down toward Robin's small body. _Haven't you done enough?_ and he rolled to his left, causing the blade to pierce his right side instead of Robin's tortured body. He grunted in pain and Robin slid out of his arms as Batman placed his right hand on the wound, attempting to stop the blood that was now flowing from his side.

Robin had been knocked out when he crashed into Batman but he awoke when he heard a familiar groan. He was on his back – right next to his partner – and he gasped when he saw Batman's blood and the crazy man standing over him with a bloody knife.

"What…why him?" he screamed in rage.

"He rolled over to save you, idiot," Conall screamed right back.

That was it; Robin couldn't handle any more. Using all the strength he had left in his body, he rolled over his left shoulder onto his stomach and pushed himself up, blood leaking from multiple wounds and his brain spinning crazily around. He would _not_ allow the man to kill Batman.

Conall watched in astonishment as his brother's killer forced himself to his feet. The kid was wobbly and his eyes weren't directly focused on anything. Conall had punished him well and, to his amazement and guilt, he was proud of himself. He felt the blood from the knife slide down his arm and he glanced down at it while trying to figure out how to get around Batman and force his weapon into Robin's heart. It didn't matter, though, because Robin already knew what _he_ was going to do.

Robin glared at the two men that looked like Conall and realized that they weren't sure how to proceed. Robin had been trained well, however, and – when the twins glanced down at the knife – he took the opportunity to go on the offensive. The two Conalls merged together and Robin's dive was weak but effective; he felt his legs brush over Batman's torso as he flew into the gut of The Darkling's brother, knocking them both down. Robin's whole body screamed at him when he collided with the man and, even though he had expected it to happen, he gasped when the knife was thrust into his left shoulder.

Conall was taken off guard and thrown to the ground when the weight of Robin's body crashed into his stomach. He reflexively pushed the knife down and was ecstatic when he felt it jerk through skin and muscle. Leaving the knife in the back of the boy he was ready to kill, he pushed the small body off him and started to rise. He was pleased with the groan of pain that was torn from Robin's lips as he rolled onto his back and the knife was driven deeper into his shoulder. He was not pleased, however, when fists were suddenly pummeling his body from everywhere until he fell to the ground unconscious.

Batman felt his partner's legs hit him, causing him to roll onto his back. He watched as Robin took the man down and his blood began to boil when he saw the knife protruding from his young ward's shoulder. He growled as he rose and then jumped on top of Conall, knocking the villain around until he went limp.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Carl, Yandere-chan, Dynamic Duo Fan and Phone Guy and mystery guest!

 **Chapter 11:**

Breathing heavily, Batman tore his cape off his back and wrapped it tightly around his midsection, effectively stopping the blood. He couldn't help Robin if he was unconscious and, if he allowed any more blood to leave his body, he probably wouldn't be able to stay awake. He turned toward Robin and carefully started to kneel next to him. The injured joints in his knees protested and he sat down instead. Robin's cape was nearly shredded but the hole from the knife wound would be small and he would be able to stop the bleeding with what was left of it. He would find something to hold it together after he prevented the life from leaving his partner's motionless form. Grateful that he was unconscious, Batman ripped off what was left of Robin's cape, rolled him on his side and pulled the knife out of his shoulder as gently as he could, wincing when the boy quietly moaned and his body shuddered. He remembered the feeling of death that had radiated off of Robin's body two months ago and had to take a moment to control his emotions as he pressed the cloth onto the slightly jagged hole in Robin's shoulder.

Robin felt a painful tugging in his shoulder and then heavy pressure. He moaned as his body shivered and slowly opened his eyes. "Batman?" he whispered, unsure of where he was.

"I'm here Robin. Stay still so I can stop this blood, okay?" Batman kept his hand on the now-bloody cloth, laid Robin on his back to keep the pressure on and took his hand away.

"Okay," Robin whispered again. "Do I still have," he paused and allowed the pain to flow and retreat, "have to, uh, go to Ar…Arkham?"

Batman wasn't surprised by this question. Of course a fifteen-year-old crime-fighter would still remember, and be worried about, being stuck in a prison with violent criminals who wanted revenge. He knew the commissioner would regret what he had done and, after everything that had happened here, also knew that there was no way Robin was going to be re-arrested and sent into isolation at Arkham.

"No, Robin, you don't need to worry about that anymore. I'm going to keep you safe, okay?" Batman didn't receive an answer and he was concerned. "Robin, did you understand what I just said?"

"Wha, oh, uh, safe? You'll check on me…every day, right?" a small tear slid down his bloody cheek; his brain was slow to process Batman's reassurance.

"Hey, kiddo," Batman said gently. "You aren't going to Arkham; Conall O'Reilly is."

"But he, uh, didn't he," he gasped and squeezed his eyes shut as a particularly long wave of agony jolted up his entire body. "Uh, charges? He pressed charges!" Robin's eyes widened and his vision cleared slightly as the memory of his arrest suddenly flew to the front of his mind. His breathing quickened as he tried to sit up but Batman laid a hand on his chest and carefully pushed him back down; mindful of the injuries all over his torso.

"Calm down Robin, listen to me. Commissioner Gordon will not be sending you to Arkham. We are, in fact, going to be sending The Darkling's brother there instead. Are you with me; do you understand?"

Robin looked up at Batman with concern etched onto his young face. Understanding began to dawn in his eyes but fear still lingered around the edges so he asked, "Are you sure? I mean, absolutely sure?"

Batman put his hands on Robin's cheeks and stared straight into his eyes as he replied, "Absolutely, positively sure."

"Okay," Robin was back to whispering. He noticed Batman grimace and remembered a bloody knife. "Are _you_ okay? He, uh, stabbed you and I think I kicked you, too," he mumbled. "Sorry."

Batman decided to be completely honest, "Yes, he stabbed me and yes, you kicked me. But I'm okay with you practicing your kicks on me when you are tackling a bad guy at the same time." Batman grinned as Robin's eyes widened again.

"I tackled him?!" Robin was grinning, too. He lifted one of his hands to wipe away the taste of blood and was shocked at what he saw. "What happened to my hand?!"

Batman frowned, "What's the last thing you remember? Besides the part where he stabbed me."

Robin looked up at the night sky, his forehead creased in thought, as he forced his brain to recall the day's events. "I was arrested."

"Okay," Batman said slowly. "What happened after that?"

There was a short pause and then, "The commissioner made you mad. I think it was about me?"

"Yes," Batman growled lightly at that memory. "What else?"

A longer pause this time and Robin's breathing hitched a few times.

Batman held up a hand, "Don't talk until you can breathe normally again, okay?"

Robin nodded and he took some deeper breaths. "Okay, uh, I was lying on old blood – are we at the circus again?"

Batman nodded, anger passing through his countenance when he learned that his partner had been laid in that circle of death.

"Something about the tightrope," he glanced at his hand again then lifted the other one, also, staring at the blood dribbling down his wrists and trying to focus on the memory. He shook his head and frowned in both pain and frustration. "I don't know!" he said loudly, startling Batman.

"It's okay, it's alright, calm down. You don't have to remember everything," Batman gently grabbed Robin's wrists and pulled his trembling hands out of his sight.

Robin's eyes widened for a third time as a shadow fell over them; Batman had neglected to secure Conall after knocking him out. Conall threw his arms around Batman's neck, his muscles constricting the airflow, and pulled him up. Batman bent forward, trying to flip the man over his head but Conall easily resisted the movement and pushed down until Batman landed on his already injured knees.

Robin watched the man trying to squeeze the life out of his partner and anger began to replace the intense pain. It was his turn to growl as he again pushed himself up – this time to his knees – and grabbed Conall's wrists, digging his fingers deep into the pressure points that forced the man's hands to go limp. Batman choked on the air that rushed back into his lungs and Robin twisted his arms, flipping Conall sideways and causing him to land hard on his back. Robin snapped and he couldn't control himself; his vision was red and he heard Batman gasping for air behind him. He lifted the man's head and wrapped his arms around the thick neck, squeezing tightly.

Batman glanced up when he heard a 'thud' and was shocked to see Robin struggling to hold O'Reilly's neck between his arms. "ROBIN," he croaked, trying to gain his attention and stop him from doing something he would regret. He yelled this time, "ROBIN, STOP, LET GO!"

Robin heard Batman's voice but it was so quiet that he ignored it. His head was pounding, his bones were cracking, his blood was flowing and he was struggling for air; fighting against the intense pain that was wracking his entire body. Conall was tearing at Robin's arms, trying to free his neck so he could breathe, but Robin refused to let go.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Thanks for the reviews Carl and mystery guest and thanks for checking up on me Yandere-chan and mystery guest!

That awesome bug I mentioned earlier is being passed around our house so I haven't really had time to do anything with this story. Also, I always triple-check (at least!) grammar, punctuation, spelling and word-flow before posting so that's why it has taken so long. Sorry...

Warning: Super cheesy ending ahead - I don't even like it that much! I've been working on it since I finished writing the story and...nothing. :( So, if you don't like it, make something up in your head and have it end that way. ;) Thanks!

 **Chapter 12:**

"ROBIN!" Batman tried one last time before diving toward his partner, causing him to lose his grip on The Darkling's brother and sending him sliding away toward the bleachers. Conall was gasping and groaning and Batman looked over at him. "Shut up," he said and pulled out his Bat-cuffs. He flipped the man onto his stomach and slapped the cuffs on his wrists before painfully standing and limping over to Robin, crouching when he got there.

Robin was face-down on the floor, his forehead resting on the cold cement and his entire body quivering violently. "I'm sorry," he whispered, devastation clearly evident in his voice. "I couldn't, he was going to _kill_ you. I'm sorry, so sorry…" his sentence trailed off as he struggled to contain his emotions.

"Okay, Robin, I understand, but you have to think about the consequences before…"

"I know," Robin interrupted, pain and guilt replacing the previous emotions. "I'm an idiot," he said softly. "He could have _died_ and then I really _would_ be a 'dangerous murderer'." Several tears dropped from his wet eyelashes and mingled with the small circle of his blood that was already on the ground.

Conall had recovered his air and yelled across the room, "I am addin' attempted murder to the charge of murder when I get back to the police station!"

Batman sighed angrily then stood and, placing a hand on his side to contain the throbbing of his injury, limped back over to the man. "Robin and I will also be pressing charges against you. Do you want to hear the list? Assaulting Batman, kidnapping Robin, assaulting Robin, attempted murder of Robin, attempted murder of Robin again, attempted murder of Batman…do I need to continue?"

Conall shook his head, his eyes wide with fear.

" _You_ are the one going to Arkham; you are a villain just like your brother was."

"Remember what I told you about Arkham?" Robin yelled. "It's the scariest…"

"Robin, enough," Batman commanded loudly, throwing a glance over his shoulder.

Robin closed his mouth in consternation and glared at the man on the ground.

Batman stalked away from both of them and pulled out his Bat-communicator. "Batman to Batcave…quietly," he whispered.

"I'm here, sir, what do you need?" Alfred's reply was equally soft.

"I need to talk to the commissioner," Batman sighed and then took a shallow breath filled with pain.

"Very well, sir," Alfred stated and picked up the Batphone in the Batcave, holding the receiver up to the Bat-communicator.

"Yes, Batman?" Commissioner Gordon's voice sounded a little timid and Batman was satisfied that he was sufficiently regretful.

"Do you have a pen, Commissioner? Good, here are the charges that Conall O'Reilly will be facing..." Batman recited the list that he had already told the villain and included two more: assaulting Batman with a deadly weapon and assaulting Robin with a deadly weapon.

The commissioner was shocked at its length, "Batman! That's…is Robin okay?!"

"He's very beat up but he will live. He's still worried that you are going to send him to Arkham, though. I can't imagine why a fifteen-year-old would be concerned about that, can you? I mean, he would have been completely safe in _isolation,_ " Batman barked, his voice laced with sarcasm; he was still furious with Commissioner Gordon, Chief O'Hara and the entire Gotham City Police Department.

Robin had heard him. "Batman, leave it alone," he called.

Batman turned toward his partner but continued to speak into the Bat-communicator, "Robin will be out of commission for a while again so I expect you to apologize to him _now_ and allay his fears of re-arrest. Are we clear?"

"Perfectly, Batman, of course. May I speak to Robin, please?"

Batman really wanted to tell the commissioner that he didn't have a choice but he let it go, for Robin's sake. He walked carefully over to Robin, who had somehow managed to sit himself up and was leaning against the bleachers. Blood was still slowly dripping from some of his many wounds so Batman handed the Bat-communicator to Robin and began working on his partner's still-trembling body.

"Robin?" the commissioner asked.

"Yes, Commissioner?" Robin answered – his tone was steady but Commissioner Gordon could hear that it still contained traces of fear.

The commissioner sighed and gathered his thoughts before speaking, "Robin, I'm sorry for everything that has happened to you. I…"

Robin stopped him abruptly, "You were just doing your job, sir. Thank you for the apology, though." This time there was a tinge of anger in his voice and he almost turned off the Bat-communicator.

The commissioner heard the silence and said, "No, wait, hear me out, please. It is imperative that you understand something: you are _not_ going to be arrested again and you are _definitely_ _not_ going to Arkham. I'm sorry, again. Is there anything I, or anyone else in the police department, can do for you?"

Robin flinched and let a little cry of pain escape as Batman continued working on his injuries but then he sighed and said, "No, Commissioner, I think you have done enough. Thank you, again." This time Robin did turn it off then dropped it on the ground and closed his eyes. "Can we go, Batman? Are we done here?"

"Well, I needed to tell the commissioner where this villain is so that…"

Robin opened his eyes and scooped up the Bat-communicator again, holding up a still-bloody hand to stop Batman's sentence and asking Alfred to use the Batphone again.

"Yes?" the commissioner was surprised at the call.

"O'Reilly is at the old circus grounds, just like his brother was two months ago. He is cuffed so just get him, you know, when you have a chance." Robin turned it off again.

Batman gave him a slight grin as he glanced up at Robin's face. "When you have a chance?" he commented.

Anger prowled around the edges of Robin's eyes as he shrugged and then grimaced at the movement. "Yeah, you know, if they _want_ to."

"I'm going to make sure the guy is secure and then we can go," Batman stated as he stood up and walked over to Conall.

Robin, who felt like he had been sighing for two days straight, sighed again and silently got up to follow. 'Secure' sounded like knocked out and he was done with the fighting. He immediately fell just as silently as he had risen and grumbled, "The ankle; it's _always_ an ankle!"

Batman grabbed the bloody rope that had fallen from the tightrope platform and tied Conall's legs together before double-checking the security of the Bat-cuffs. "If I ever hear you say the word 'Robin' – if you even _think_ it – I will come to your dark, villain-filled cell in Arkham and let you know how I feel about your actions against him. Do we understand each other?"

Conall nodded once and mumbled, "Sorry?"

Robin, still leaning against the bleachers, yelled, "Oh, sure, that's okay. I mean, you only had me arrested and kidnapped me and tried to beat me to death and then, what was it, oh yeah, attempted to have me fall to my death and stabbed my partner – who, by the way, is _BATMAN_ – then tried to choke him to death but yeah, I'm okay with all of that. Saying 'sorry' totally takes care of everything! What is it with villains these days? Good luck in your future endeavors. At Arkham." He had worn himself out and he slumped down and closed his eyes.

Batman released a soft chuckle at his partner's lively summary of everything that had happened. He was going to be fine. He thought of something and frowned. "Mindy Landis" on the other hand, was not going to be fine. Her article had started all of this.

Robin, his eyes still closed, said wearily, "Batman? A retraction is fine; I don't really care about that anymore."

Batman shook his head, wondering how Robin had known what he was thinking about when he hadn't even seen Batman's face.

Robin opened his eyes and saw the movement. "I bet you're wondering how I knew what you were thinking." He let out a short chuckle, "You said it out loud. You didn't hear yourself say her name? Let's go now, please?"

Batman really didn't realize he had spoken aloud and he grinned as he walked back over to Robin. His knees protested when he bent down to pick up his partner and Robin saw the pain on his face.

"Wait," Robin demanded and Batman looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong with your legs? You flinch every time you have to bend them. Do I need to carry you out on my back? Are you sure you can drive?" Robin was smirking now.

Batman ignored the questions, scooped Robin up and started to walk but his knees buckled and he stumbled forward. Robin wiggled his legs out of Batman's arms and they limped out together, supporting each other as they always had and always would.

THE END

P.S. My next story, "Seven Days", is in the works. I'm not sure if I want to post it, though; I tried an idea from a reader and I don't have a lot of confidence in it. It's a little darker than my others - it has some implied torture - and I don't want to turn anybody off. Right now I'm leaning towards letting it fall by the wayside and moving on. Also, I just barely finished writing it so, if I do decide to post it, it won't be up for a little while. I like to make sure my stories are as polished as possible before I start posting.

If I choose not to post it, I will find another idea for a story and I will be sure to write one that I feel comfortable posting. So, I'm not disappearing forever; don't give up on me! :)

If you have any other story ideas that you want to share, please do so because my idea well is dry again! I've been working on the writing style of the Batman TV series in the '60s but, so far, I pretty much suck at it. If I do an alternate ending (or an add-on) to one of the episodes, I want the Dynamic Duo to actually be in character so don't expect anything like that anytime soon.

Thanks for the reviews, comments and all the love you sent to Robin! :) I've always thought he should be an actual "hero" that can handle difficult situations and fight or talk (or whatever) his way out of them - well, most of them anyway. ;) That's why I write him like I do; he is never given the credit _I_ think he deserves so...I give it to him. :) Thanks again and I hope you come back when I have something new!


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